| Display Title: | Felucca Plutón |
| Ship Ownwer: | Ors y García |
| Ship Caption: | Felucca Plutón |
| Ship Country: | Spain |
| Ship Name: | Plutón |
| Ship Ordered: | 1835 |
| Ship Builder: | Arenys de Mar ship yard (Spain) |
The Felucca Plutón was a very notable boat for its performance.[1] [2] [3] [4] Built in Arenys de Mar, she was of the type "elastic felucca".[5]
She used to navigate as a coast guard ("maritime guard")[6] based in Benidorm.[7]
The performances of the Plutón, from a nautical point of view, were highlighted by Lieutenant Pedro Riudavets.[8] This expert Menorcan navigator translated a treatise on sail construction (Sails and Sailmaking by Robert Kipping),[9] adding many aspects about lateen sails that were not included in the original: Elements of sail construction.[10] [11]
Regarding the Plutón, Riudavets stated that it was one of the best feluccas built on the Catalan coast; He even indicated the proportions of the hull and rig that allowed such outstanding results. Basically good speed and great upwind ability (close-hauled angle: 4.5 quarters). Riudavets' dedication and interest in "maritime safety" vessels seems demonstrated by his donation of three models to the Naval Museum.[12]
The dimensions indicated in the table are based on the dimensions that appear in the reference work, originally published in Burgos feet (1 Burgos foot = 0.278635 m).[13] The importance of this unit of measurement in shipbuilding lies in the big amount of official documents about ships using the unit.[14] [15]
| Measurements | Burgos feet | Meters |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 78 | 21.06 |
| Width | 23.5 | 6,345 |
| Strut | 7.4 | 1,998 |
| Main mast | 79 | 21.33 |
| Mizzenmast | 55 | 14.85 |
| Boom | 53.04 | 14.32 |
| Mizzen-sheet-puller | 42.9 | 11.58 |
| Main lateen yard | 132.6 | 35.80 |
| Mizzen lateen yard | 71.6 | 19.33 |
| Main yard lower end | 74.88 | 20.22 |
| Main yard upper piece | 105.30 | 28.43 |
| Mainmast draft below deck | 8 | 2.16 |
| Mizzen mast draft | 6 | 1.62 |
| Distance of the mainmast forward of center | 2 | 0.54 |
| Distance of mizzenmast aft of center | 3.4 | 9.19 |
| Inside the bowsprit | 10 | 2.7 |
| Interior of the coaster | 6 | 1.62 |
| Angle of the mainmast with the vertical | 18° | |
| Mizzen mast angle aft | 5° | |
| Angle of the boom with the horizontal | 15° |
The handling of the Plutón as a customs ship was carried out by a company from Benidorm, Ors y García, founded in 1835 under the orders of Gaspar Ortuño.[16] In 1844 the Plutón belonged to the Spanish Navy.
In the 19th and 20th centuries there were two types of feluccas: utilitarian feluccas (intended for ordinary transport) and fast feluccas called elastics (intended for coast guard functions,[17] privateering, smuggling and important transport). The elastic feluccas had finer lines, greater sail area and more slender sail shapes. The following images show two felucca-rigged boats still underway. Regarding the shapes and rigging, they could be considered utilitarian feluccas. Plutón was 21 meters long.